BBC Broadcasting House

Project managing the creation of the world’s largest broadcast centre.

For many people, Broadcasting House is the BBC. But by the end of the millennium, this iconic building was in desperate need of repair. The decision was made to turn it into a broadcasting centre for the 21stcentury.

We managed the project over 2 phases: the iconic Grade II listed building’s refurbishment, and the creation of 70,000 m² of state-of-the-art facilities and offices for over 5,000 staff.

Managing to stay on air

The BBC’s largest creative hub broadcasts to over 150 million people worldwide – every single week. The challenge was to manage change to the world’s largest live broadcast centre, whilst ensuring transmission went uninterrupted.

Our team of experienced project managers achieved this by:

  • Simultaneously managing the design, procurement and completion stages to address the project’s longevity and complexity
  • Establishing and maintaining good relationships with the client, the developer, BBC management and contractors
  • Taking a comprehensive planning and programming approach
  • Managing the integration of a sophisticated £200 M technical fit-out with a wide range of end-users
  • Establishing a web-based extranet to share and manage all project information
  • Operating robust design-procurement, change-control and construction-monitoring systems

 

£700m

in savings for the BBC, out of the consolidation of its property portfolio.

Delivering a large-scale development

Broadcasting House’s redevelopment took a decade to complete and involved the biggest single migration of staff in the BBC’s 90-year history. Part of a wider cost-saving strategy to consolidate the BBC’s property portfolio and centralise its London operation, it will ultimately produce savings of more than £700 M over the remaining 21-year lease.

Just as importantly, the BBC can house TV, radio and online operations (not to mention most of its London staff) together for the first time. Gleeds is proud to have played such an important role in helping the BBC achieve its aims. 

Gleeds’ committed and professional team was instrumental in bringing our complex project to a successful conclusion, on schedule and £30m under budget. Peter Frackiewicz, Project Director, Land Securities